1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk unit such as an MD player, particularly relates to a disk unit wherein a prompt search of recorded information is enabled in reproducing or editing a disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a disk unit that reproduces information on a disk such as a rewritable mini disc (MD), in case reproduction is performed on the way of a tune and editing such as the division of a tune, the combination of tunes and the partial deletion of a tune is performed, reproduction and editing are performed by a jump up to a target record position using a search button. To promptly and precisely perform such a search, various methods are heretofore proposed.
Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 9-198668 discloses a disk unit wherein in case one track jump operation is executed, a pickup is moved to the inner side of a target position by few tracks jump operation when the target position of the pickup is located on the inner side of a disk, and afterward the pickup is securely moved to the target position by one track jump operation.
Also, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 11-53850 discloses a disk unit wherein distance to move a pickup is acquired based upon the current position and a target position and a search at high speed is enabled by setting so that a position when the movement is finished is short in the direction of the search.
Also, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 5-53035 discloses a disk unit wherein access time to a target address is reduced by controlling the movement of a pickup corresponding to the result of comparison between the number of sectors corresponding to difference between the target address and the current address and the number of sectors per one track on which the target address is located.
Further, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3012988 discloses a disk unit wherein in case a rapid traverse key is operated, time required for rapid transverse can be reduced by continuously releasing control operation by a tracking servo mechanism and moving an optical pickup at high speed. Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3012990 discloses a disk unit wherein in case a rapid transverse key is operated, a search of a target track can be easily performed by executing tracking servo control, controlling the rotation of an optical disc at higher speed than normal speed.
In case recording is performed by input from an external device and input via a microphone in an MD player, there are two recording modes of autotrack marking and manual track marking. In autotrack marking, in case a silent interval continues for predetermined time (for example, for three seconds) in recording, the next track is automatically allocated to the following recording and the number of a tune is allocated. Therefore, the more silent intervals are, the more the number of recording tracks is. In the meantime, in manual track marking, a track is specified and one tune is continuously recorded on this track. Therefore, even if there is a silent interval in recording, a magnetic head is not moved to a new track and the silent interval is recorded on the specified track as it is. Therefore, when performance in a concert is recorded in manual track marking, there is a case that the recorded time of one track is 60 minutes or 80 minutes and is a long time.
In case recording is performed in autotrack marking, a search can be performed by a jump in units of track because one tune is divided into multiple tracks. Therefore, even if a part close to the end of a long tune is reproduced or edited, it does not take muck time to search the part. In the meantime, in case recording is performed in manual track marking, a search in units of track is disabled and as a search up to the way of one track is required, considerable time is required for a search in case a part close to the end of a long tune is reproduced or edited.
That is, to search up to the way of a track, a search button continues to be pressed, rapid transverse or quick reverse is performed and a finger has only to be separated from the button at a target location, however, a step of this search is normally a few seconds and is short. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10A, in case the recorded time of one track No. 1 is three minutes for example, it does not take much time to reach a target location P, however, as shown in FIG. 10B, in case the recorded time of one track No. 1 is 60 minutes for example, a search button is required to continue to be pressed until the target location P is reached and it takes considerable time to search. However, in a conventional type disk unit, such a point is not considered and the conventional type disk unit has a problem that it is hard for a user to use.
The invention is made to solve the above problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a disk unit wherein a prompt search is also enabled in case the recorded time of one track is long.
To achieve the object, the disk unit according to the invention is provided with a search button for searching a location to be reproduced or edited of information recorded on a disk and a search mode controller that controls a mode of a search by the search button, and the search mode controller sets a mode of a search in a track according to the total recorded time of one track recorded by manual track marking.
For example, in case the total recorded time of one track is below 5 minutes, a search mode is set to a small jump mode in which a search is performed at a short step (for example, in units of a few seconds). In this case, as recorded time is short, a search in units of a few seconds comes into no question. Also, in case the total recorded time of one track is over five minutes, thirty minutes or below thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to an intermediate jump mode in which a search is performed at an intermediate step (for example, in units of a few tens seconds) and the small jump mode. Also, in case the total recorded time of one track exceeds thirty minutes for example, a search mode is set to a time jump mode in which a jump by input time is performed, the intermediate jump mode and the small jump mode. In this case, as a jump up to a location of specified time is performed at one stroke in the time jump mode, search speed can be further enhanced.
In case a time zone is divided into two in addition to the case that the time zone is divided into three and the total recorded time of one track is below thirty minutes for example, a search mode may be also set to the small jump mode and the intermediate jump mode and in case the total recorded time exceeds thirty minutes for example, a search mode may be also set to the time jump mode, the intermediate jump mode and the small jump mode. In case the total recorded time of one track is below thirty minutes for example, a search mode may be also set to only the small jump mode and in case the total recorded time exceeds thirty minutes for example, a search mode may be also set to the time jump mode and the small jump mode.
In place of the time jump mode, a search mode may be also set to a block jump mode in which a jump is performed in units of block in case one track is divided into the predetermined number of blocks. In this case, as a jump is performed up to a specified block at one stroke, a high-speed search is also enabled.
Further, in place of the total recorded time, a search mode may be also set according to the residual recorded time of a track being reproduced.
As described above, in the invention, a search can be efficiently performed in an optimum mode according to recorded time by setting a search mode according to the total recorded time of one track or the residual recorded time and even if reproduction or editing is performed on the way of a track having long recorded time, search time can be greatly reduced.